Managing a private delivery fleet might seem like the most straightforward way to maintain control over your logistics—but as many businesses are starting to realize, it often comes with a tangle of hidden costs, operational headaches, and efficiency challenges.
From automotive parts distributors to meal kit companies, businesses across Canada and the U.S. are reevaluating whether keeping fleet operations in-house is really worth the burden. Spoiler alert: It often isn’t.
Let’s explore the true costs of owning a fleet—and why outsourcing to a specialized, tech-enabled 3PL provider like Ziing can free up your resources, save you money, and future-proof your delivery operations.
Human Resources & Staffing
Recruiting, onboarding, and managing drivers is time-consuming—and turnover can be high. That’s a drain on both HR teams and budgets.
Risk & Liability
Insurance premiums, safety training, and compliance with provincial, federal, or even cross-border regulations add complexity and risk. One accident can become a costly liability.
Fleet Management Overhead
From route planning to vehicle maintenance scheduling and dispatching—these are operational tasks that require skilled labor, time, and systems.
Downtime & Underutilization
If your deliveries peak 2–3 days a week, what’s your fleet doing the rest of the time? Underutilized assets = lost money. Meanwhile, meeting peak demand can force you to overhire or buy more vehicles than you actually need.
Vehicle CapEx & Depreciation
Owning or leasing delivery vehicles ties up capital and adds depreciation to your balance sheet.
Fuel, Repairs & Maintenance
Costs that fluctuate wildly and are hard to control. These eat into profits—especially if you’re not optimizing routes efficiently.
Technology Gaps
Do you have a modern platform for route optimization, delivery tracking, or driver management? Many businesses don’t—and the cost to build or maintain one can be steep.
Seasonal Peaks: Need to scale quickly for a product launch or holiday surge? That often means short-term hiring, overtime, or overextending your fleet.
Driver Shortages: A national issue that’s only growing. Replacing drivers quickly is difficult—and costly.
Inefficiency in Routing & Consolidation: Most private fleets aren't equipped to consolidate loads across clients or routes, leading to inefficient mileage and wasted capacity.
Here’s how:
Flexible Capacity Without Fixed Costs
We offer dedicated delivery routes or fractional solutions so you only pay for the capacity you need—when you need it.
Service Partners, Not Just Drivers
Ziing uses a nationwide network of carriers trained to meet our class-leading SOPs—meaning we can scale delivery capacity without compromising on quality or reliability.
Data-Driven Delivery Optimization
Our proprietary AI-enabled platform helps you reduce cost per stop, improve on-time performance, and gain visibility into your logistics operations.
Compliance, Risk & HR? Handled.
We take on the administrative, legal, and logistical complexity so you don’t have to.
Cost Predictability & Efficiency
Outsourcing means transforming unpredictable logistics costs into a lean, predictable operating expense.
With Fleet Assist, we provide supplementary support to help you bridge the gaps:
Fill in during driver shortages
Handle overflow during peak periods
Help you transition toward full or partial outsourcing
Optimize routes and improve utilization
Whether you want to fully outsource or just need help on your busiest days, we tailor our solutions to meet your needs—not the other way around.
Ready to rethink your fleet strategy? Let’s talk.